Green Retailer LEEDs and Follows: Indiana’s first LEED-certified Dealership Driven by SIA’s Example

Posted: 3.31.18

Tom Wood Subaru is a LEED-certified and Subaru Eco-Friendly Retailer

Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) set the bar in eco-friendly car manufacturing, becoming the first zero-waste auto plant in the US. Sixty miles southeast of the plant is Tom Wood Subaru of Indianapolis, IN, a retailer close to the SIA plant—in proximity and environmental goals.

The retailer hasn’t reached zero-waste yet, but it is committed to getting closer one step at a time.

“We strive every day to be as great as the Subaru plant and to learn more about recycling and what new items we can turn into something great,” said Shannon Cook, operations support specialist and sustainability manager at Tom Wood Subaru.

See the beginnings of the retailer’s zero-waste journey in this 2013 video chronicling its initial waste stream audit. Read on to learn about the eco-friendly progress since that time.

LEED-certified facility

Big strides were made when Tom Wood Subaru opened its new facility in 2014. As the first LEED-certified car dealership in Indiana, “every reasonable method for our construction was environmentally friendly,” its website explains. A few of those practices include:

Recycling 100% of the old parking lot materials
Recycling 90% of the previous building
Insulating 50% above energy code requirements
Installing LED lighting inside and out, combined with occupancy sensors in most areas

Green updates

Even with a new eco-friendly facility, Tom Wood Subaru refuses to stand still. In 2016 a solar powered-EV carport was installed. Over the lifetime of the station, it is estimated it will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than 200 tons and permit more than 500,000 miles of clean driving. Solar panels on top of the carport power the charging station and run fans in the service drive and shop area.

Solar panels on top of a carport power an EV charging station as well as fans inside the building.

Plant tours

In April each year, Tom Wood Subaru takes a group of customers to the SIA plant in Lafayette, IN. Customers travel to the plant on a motor coach, and the ride includes refreshments and gifts. Beyond these amenities, Cook explains a plant tour lets participants see first-hand “how their vehicles are created” and “learn all about all of the great recycling processes at the Subaru plant.”

Lunch follows the tour, along with a Q&A session and presentation from Tom Easterday, senior executive vice president of SIA.

“We have had so many emails, letters and thankful, happy customers who really enjoyed this trip. We put it on every year!” says Cook.

Customers on a SIA tour see where Subarus are made in the US and learn about the automaker’s commitment to the environment.

Customers on a SIA tour (above) see where Subarus are made in the US and learn about the automaker’s commitment to the environment. Following the April 2017 plant tour, attendees received trees in reusable shopping bags (below).

Following the April 2017 plant tour, attendees received trees in reusable shopping bags.

Future plans

This spring Tom Wood Subaru will expand green efforts by adding three hard-to-recycle items to its recycling program: snack wrappers and bags, disposable coffee cups and lids, and coffee and tea capsules. The retailer is partnering with TerraCycle to make this happen; customers, employees and community members are welcome to participate.

Beyond diverting these three items from local landfills, Cook says the partnership with TerraCycle has another benefit. “There will be opportunities to purchase recycled products made from our waste to donate back into the community, such as park benches and picnic tables.”

Read more about Tom Wood Subaru’s eco-friendly work here and here.